All Over The World
by Countryole
Summary: Post Season 4 finale: In the aftermath of killing Henry Wilcox, Annie never makes it to the carrier in the South China Sea. With the unlikely help of Annie's sister, Danielle, and a charismatic and sometimes egotistical Israeli, Auggie sets off on a journey "All Over The World" to find her and finally bring her home.
1. Chapter 1

_All Over The World._

Annie Walker never made it to the U.S. carrier group in the South China sea.

They did not realize their ghost was in the wind again until they received communication from the carrier stating that she had missed her scheduled arrival by several hours. The boat carrying her was not responding to any attempts at making contact, and the burner phone she had on her was disconnected. Langley was in an uproar. The sudden turn of events created a whole new set of doubts for those in charge, a fire fueled by the fallout of Henry Wilcox's unscrupulous exploits during the preceding months before his demise, and Annie's renegade involvement in finally taking him off the game board. After pulling so many strings to bring her in from the cold, to bring her _home_, Annie Walker had disappeared all over again.

Except this time no one knew where she was.

* * *

After weeks of living in the hellish confines of IT, It felt strange to be back in his office.

He sat in his chair, the sounds of DPD squad room chatter and whirring computers the background noise for his cluttered thoughts. His right hand rested on his cane as it sat atop his desk. He had taken it out earlier, intending to go somewhere, yet he found himself unable to move, and instead lingered in undecided contemplation. He had been sitting there for a while now, ever since Calder had come down from the seventh floor to deliver the news, existing in a semi-frozen state of shock.

Annie was missing.

He ran his hand over his face, the circles under his eyes proof that he had not slept in days. He had arrived in D.C. around the same time Annie should have been boarding the carrier. She never ceased to amaze him, but in hind sight what she chose to do did not surprise him. He wanted to kick himself for not realizing sooner; the writing had been on the wall from the moment she called him after killing Henry. Detached, distant, _changed_. Psychological instability was to be expected. There was no way you could do what Annie had done - sacrificing everything, faking your own death - and come out completely unscathed.

It was her emotional capacity that made her better than all the other agents — allowing her to hold together the unraveling threads of her life during her pursuit of Henry, a piece of her past to cling to in a world where she no longer recognized who she was. She had proven time and time again that when emotions run high, she could act upon them, tackling the task at hand without so much as a question. Unwavering, resolute, determined.

This time emotions had her running in the opposite direction.

Upon further investigation the asset responsible for ferrying her from Hong Kong to the carrier revealed that Annie had convinced him to drop her off on the coast of Taiwan, near Taoyuan. It was assumed that she had arranged for some sort of transport off the island, seeing as the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was the closest in the area. She was nothing if not resourceful, and incredibly good at covering her tracks, because there was no proof - photographic, video, or otherwise - that revealed she had been in the area.

He rapped his fingers against the glass of his desk alongside his cane, jaw locked, pensive. Part of him was tempted to fall into a state of panic. It would be easy to start demanding that Calder assemble a team to hunt her down, find her before she did something dangerous, or before something dangerous found her, but Auggie knew better. If Annie wanted to be found, she would not have run in the first place. There was no sense in sending the CIA on a wild goose chase they were doomed to fail.

"What are you doing, Annie?" The words are more of a muttered prayer than an actual question, and Auggie can only hope that time would answer it.

However, wild goose chases and impossible odds be damned, however, August Anderson had never backed down from a challenge before. More importantly he had never backed down from a challenge when it concerned Annie. He was not about to start now. His expression changed, brightened, and he removed his hand from his cane again and reached into his pocket for his cellphone. A few quick maneuvers of his fingers and he had it pressed to his ear, waiting while it began to ring.

It was a long shot, but he had always been a gambling man. The line connected and his heart jumped in his chest.

"Danielle." He smiled, shifting the phone to his left hand before grabbing his cane and standing up. "Hey- no, no everything is fine. Actually, I'm going to be in the area tomorrow- Yeah, I thought California would be a nice change of scenery. Well, you know what I mean."

Danielle laughed, and Auggie took a deep breath, bracing himself.

"Listen, I need to talk to you. It's about Annie."

* * *

"Annie is _alive_?"

Danielle stared at Auggie Anderson in wide eyed, opened mouth disbelief. For months she had mourned the loss of her baby sister, attempted to accept the fact that Annie's job would prevent them from ever knowing what really happened to her. She still had not come to terms with the fact that every morning she woke up, she had to realize that Annie was no longer there.

But now the same man who had called her to tell her Annie was dead just months before was in her house, sitting in her living room, on her couch, entirely convinced that she had risen from the grave. She can only stare at him, almost as if she had seen Annie's ghost herself. Had Auggie been in love with her? Was he so distraught over Annie that he had lost his mind entirely? What the hell had possessed him to fly all the way to San Francisco? And was she supposed to _say_?

"Danielle?"

She jumped, the sound of Auggie's voice reminding her that she was not alone with her thoughts, and that he could not see her facial expressions to understand the process of shock she was trying to work her way through- with little success.

"What kind of awful, ridiculous trick is this?" She asked, pale faced and faint feeling, and she imagined her brain spinning inside her head. "Auggie, this _isn't_ funny, I know that this is hard-"

"Danielle, it's not a joke-"

"I understand that she was special to you Auggie, she was special to me too, she was my sister!"

"Danielle-"

"Believe me, I know better than anyone how difficult this is, if you need help, I will try and do whatever I can-"

"Danielle!"

She jumped, taken aback by the blatant irritation Auggie projected from where he sat, hands clasped in vexation, leaned forward over her coffee table from his seat on the couch. Thankful that he could not see her clearly disgruntled expression, Danielle sat up in her seat on the recliner across from him, arms folded across her chest, frown securely in place.

"I'm sorry," Auggie apologized, "I'm sorry for everything, but this _isn't_ a joke. I can't tell you exactly what happened-" Danielle rolled her eyes; typical spies, always talking in circles and never telling the entire story. "- But Annie _is_ alive, and I need your help to find her."

Danielle remained quiet, eyes narrowed as she watched Auggie, who waited for her response with a somewhat anxious look on his face. She would never be able to get used to living with the lies, the fake outs, the double standards that seemed to be a daily part of living as a secret agent. And Danielle could not help but wonder how they _did_ live with themselves. How could they go on, everyday creating one more story, one more fabrication, knowing that at some point the truth would be so convoluted no one would be able to recognize it anymore?

Surely Annie was not alive. It seemed impossible, preposterous, but the look on Auggie's face, and the conviction in his words told a completely different story. She tried to wrap her head around it, tried to remind herself to breathe. Nothing Auggie said made any sense using rational, reasonable logic. But then again, when had anything involving Annie after she joined the CIA made sense? Realization hit Danielle like a wrecking ball.

"Oh God." She leaned back against the recliner, looking even more like she had seen a ghost than before. "_Oh God!_"

"There is so much I wish I could explain." Auggie was conflicted, the look on his face pained. "But the sooner we find Annie, the sooner she can do that herself."

"She's alive." Danielle repeated the statement as if it would make more sense saying the words out loud. As if she could make herself believe it.

"She's alive." Auggie affirmed, reaching for his cane off the coffee table where he had set it earlier, moving it to his lap. "I don't know where she is, or what she is looking for, but that's why I'm here; you know her best."

"I-" Danielle falters, overwhelmed, trying to hold back tears. She immediately thought of Annie's post card, her final farewell, not really a farewell at all. "Auggie, I have no idea where she could be. So much has changed. She isn't the same person anymore."

"That's exactly why I came to you." His declaration was made in all seriousness and Danielle wiped her eyes where the tears started to well at the corners, not understanding what he was getting at. Her entire world had been turned upside down in a matter of mere minutes, and now she was left scrambling to put the pieces back together. She was not made to handle these high pressure, volatile situations. _Not like Annie. _She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but to little avail.

"I don't think I'm following." She whispered, her words a shell of weary uncertainty.

"You're right, Annie isn't the same person anymore. Things have changed." Auggie smiled, a gesture that surprised Danielle given the gravity of the situation. "But that person she _used_ to be, that's who Annie is looking for. _That _is why you can help me."

* * *

Athens was beautiful at sunset. The city was surrounded by hills and mountains, a view that it was famous for. A clear sky stretched as far as the eye could see above the surrounding cityscape, endless and lit up by the brilliant reds and dying yellows of the fading sunlight. The Flisvos marina in Paleo Faliro, just six miles from Athen's city center, was a picture of pure serenity. Boats were docked and packed side by side, the water lapping softly at the hulls, gulls calling from above as they floated along on the wind.

The sound of footsteps along the dock was the only noise that disrupted the peace. A solitary woman walked tranquilly down through a line of smaller boats, a colorful Hijab draping her face and resting across the shoulders of her ivory colored, long sleeved blouse. Her feet, in sandals, disappeared and reappeared from beneath her long skirt with each step, the garment the same bright color as the fabric that shaded her eyes from the evening sun. The apparel was not entirely uncommon for a woman in Greece, so no one paid her any immediate mind

She stopped at a boat near the end of the line. It was a fishing boat, more specifically a forty foot mariner ketch, immaculate and well cared for. Glancing back down the dock and finding she was alone, the woman deftly stepped aboard. She caught a glimpse of the name along the starboard side, the shiny black vinyl gleaming against the reflection of the water.

_The Flying Lavin._

She smiled, pausing amidship on the deck and removing the Hijab from her head, long, dark waves of hair spilling down around her face and shoulders. She then made her way to the bridge, hands coming to rest along the lithe body of the steering wheel. She considered it for a moment, expression bittersweet as her grip tightened reflexively, eyes closed with a sigh.

"Sorry, Eyal. I owe you one."

* * *

_**AN:**__ Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this. Think of this as me trying to entertain myself until the season 5 premier this summer. Think of it as our very own AU season 5 premiere. I miss Danielle, and I miss Eyal, so I figured why not bring them back?! Let me know whatcha think in the reviews, stay tuned for more. Guess where the title came from? ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

She had flown on plenty of regular airplanes before, and been through plenty of regular airports, but standing on the tarmac of a nearly deserted airstrip in the middle of Washington, D.C., with a Lear jet roaring to life in front of her at two in the morning, was disconcerting.

Danielle pulled her coat around her and shivered, a combination of the December weather and her own nerves. She had not slept on the flight from San Francisco to Dulles International, had spent the majority of her time gazing out the window at clouds and biting her fingernails down to the quick- an old habit she had kicked in college suddenly resurfacing. Her mind was wracked with a million questions, mostly questions that had her doubting her own sanity. Auggie had slept like a baby, or at least it appeared he had, and once more Danielle was left marveling at his ability to remain perfectly calm and in control.

At least one of them was.

She waited beside the car they had driven to the airstrip, parked alongside the main hangar. A hundred feet away Auggie stood in heated conversation with a black man she did not recognize, though from the looks of his expensive tastes in suits and cars, he seemed to fit her preconceived ideas of a secret agent profile. She admired his Jaguar from a distance. It reminded Danielle of her dad and his own obsession with fast cars, and the times she and Annie had spent in their family's home made auto shops with him as kids. Danielle could not have cared less about cars, but Annie would be the one handing their dad tools and accidentally getting grease stuck in her hair, which she would squall and scream about having to wash before going to bed.

Danielle pushed the memories away, regretting having thought of it at all. She refocused her attention on the stranger and Auggie, and the cellphone in Auggie's hand that was clearly on speaker given the angry echo of a female voice she could detect even at this distance. After several more moments of debate the council seemed to come to some sort of agreement; Auggie hung up the phone, and the other man led him back toward Danielle.

"Mrs. Brooks? Calder Michaels." He extended his hand, which Danielle eyed suspiciously before shaking. He seemed to find her reaction amusing, or maybe his smile was simply a cover up for how he really felt. She glanced at Auggie, then Calder, and then back to Auggie again. She made a mental note that good looking men in suits were not to be trusted. She knew better, honestly, given her own husbands questionable escapades. Yet here she was, with two men, both dashing in appearance, both in suits, about to get on a plane the destination of which she was not entirely sure of.

"You can call me Danielle." She replied, her composure forced and stiff.

"Danielle," Calder nodded, Cheshire cat grin in place, "Auggie tells me that you're the only one in this whole, wide world, who can find Annie Walker. If you're anything like your sister, I know better than to try and stop you, but I'd like to remind you that by sanctioning this "mission", I'm sticking my neck out for you, and her-" Calder paused thoughtfully. "-_again_, I might add."

Auggie unfurled his cane, the snap and click of it stark in the awkward silence following Calder's monologue.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat," Auggie's sarcasm was dually noted, "We have a plane to catch and a pitstop to make before we reach our first destination."

Danielle glanced sideways at him, immediately wondering what he meant by pitstop. The plan, after discussing several possibilities, was to start in the past and work forward. If Annie was revisiting her life from before as they suspected, they hoped with the right luck and right timing they would somehow meet her in the middle. The journey would be a whirlwind marathon across Europe, tracking down every single army base Danielle and Annie had lived on as kids, praying that somewhere in all the old memories of an untainted life, they would find her sister.

"What, no edible arrangements this time, Anderson?" Calder scoffed, and Danielle quirked an eyebrow in blatant befuddlement, trying to follow why they were suddenly talking about food. Auggie simply smirked, the only response Calder would illicit from him. Shaking his head, Calder turned away, glancing backwards as he went. "Good luck you two, you're going to need it."

"I've never really been the type to need luck, actually!" Danielle quipped after him, rubbed wrong by the man's undeniable air of arrogance. She was not about to let him have the last word; much like her Annie, subordinate behavior did not run in her DNA. Auggie stood beside her and chuckled under his breath, and she gave an unimpressed "hmph" of indignation at his reaction.

"What's so funny?" She demanded.

"Nothing." Auggie shook his head. "Not a thing." She did not miss the crooked grin he could not seem to get rid of, and she watched him curiously for a moment, wondering what it was he was hiding in that head of his. He shifted his position and held out a hand. "Are you ready for this, Agent Brooks?" He jested.

"I am _not_ an agent." Danielle declared furiously, adjusting her stance so he could take he arm. "And I don't think there's anything in the world that could make me ready for _this_."

Auggie remained quiet, squeezing her arm reassuringly. She wondered if he could feel the dread in her, so strong it was almost suffocating. She sighed as they approached the steps to the jet, her stomach starting to flip.

Overhead a clear sky was lit up with a million stars, bright diamonds against a velvet black backdrop. Danielle though of Annie's post card, tucked away safe in her bag on the plane. She was not sure why she brought it, but it was the last piece of Annie she had, the last clue her sister had left her. She paused at the stairway up into the cabin, letting Auggie go ahead of her, briefly searching the sky to the west before following behind him.

"Where exactly is this so called pitstop you mentioned?" She settled into her seat across from Auggie, fingers tapping tentatively against the leather armrest.

"I'm recruiting the help of an old friend." Auggie replied, folding his cane once he had found his own seat and setting it to the side.

"Old friend?" Annie might have been able to speak almost every language known to man, but she would never be able to oust Danielle when it came to speaking skepticism. "That still doesn't answer my question."

"Tell me Danielle, how would you like to visit Israel?"

* * *

Eyal Lavin could withstand many things an average man could not.

He could withstand the demanding, exhausting life of working for the Mossad, the endless days, the sleepless nights, the risks and the dangers that never guaranteed tomorrow. He could withstand his niece climbing on top of him, pulling his hair and screeching in his ear at ungodly hours of the morning when he visited his family in Haifa. He could even withstand his ex-wife nagging him with endless reminders not to miss his son's important school functions - which, he could proudly declare, he had yet to do, her reminders thus being a waste of precious oxygen. He would never have dared say that to her face though — he was not quite as sure of his ability to withstand her mean right hook.

One thing, however, Eyal knew he _certainly_ could not withstand, was someone _stealing his boat._

The phone call from the marina in Flisvos was entirely unexpected. When they asked him when he had intended to tell them he was removing his vessel from their care, he informed them that he had done no such thing. The ensuing conversation was heated. _Lech laazazel! What do you mean it's missing? You're the ones who've lost the damn boat! How is this my fault?_

There were no witnesses, no video evidence to go back and study in hopes of finding the thief who had whisked away into the night with his dreams of retirement. Anger was not a strong enough descriptor to adequately address his feelings of blinding rage over the fact that his pride and joy had been spirited out of the harbor, without so much as a single soul noticing its disappearance. Not to mention the fact that his lunch was now entirely ruined, a travesty in itself. Eyal would have gone into a complete tirade over it too, if it weren't for the phone call that followed almost immediately after he hung up with the marina manager.

It was not very often he heard from August Anderson.

Sitting at a café in the city center of Tel Aviv, countless people passing by in throngs, Eyal studied the ringing cellphone over the tops of his sunglasses with the curiosity of a cat. The Mossad agent allowed the phone to ring and go to voicemail. It was always best to think before acting, and he briefly considered what the blind CIA tech operative could possibly want from him.

Concern hits him unexpectedly, his thoughts turning to Annie, and a sense of unease ran like ice through his veins. Was something wrong? What kind of ridiculous trouble had Neshema gotten herself into now that she needed saving from? If she had come to Athen's with him in the first place, and taken him up on his offer to sail the seas on his boat, she never would have landed herself in whatever situation this call was sure to be about to begin with.

_His boat._

Eyal's eyes widened, mouth first agape in the shock of initial realization, and then replaced with a triumphant smile as the puzzle pieces fell into place. He quickly opened the old flip-style cellphone - his preferred technological device of choice, simple and uncomplicated - and redialed the last incoming call.

"Hello, Auggie, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Eyal leaned back in his chair, eyes hidden beneath tinted shades from the evening sun. The rays of light gleamed off the white of his suit, and the blue of his tie. He pulled his wallet from his pants pocket, tossing a twenty shekel banknote on the tiled table top along with his half eaten-meal.

"It's funny, actually, that you ask. No, I have not seen her, but I suspect I know where she was last." He stood and began walking, melting into the crowd along the sidewalk beyond the café. "I am overdue for a vacation, the Mossad won't mind, eh? Listen, I have a place in Jaffa, can you meet me there in twenty minutes?"

* * *

Auggie explored the confines of Eyal's safe house unhurriedly, his free hand running along the top of the couch in the living area, his cane discovering the various obstacles around him; a low coffee table, a rug, some sort of potted, indoor plant. He made his way in the direction of the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the Israeli as he shuffled around, opened cabinets and rearranged cookware, the smell of fresh coffee filling the entire house with it's aroma. Somewhere a shower was running, and Danielle sang a rendition of Dancing Queen that echoed down the hall leading to the bathroom.

Auggie was learning very quickly that Annie's resilience was easily matched (if not beaten) by that of her sister. Danielle might have liked to claim that she was nothing like her sister and that she really didn't feel she could possibly be prepared for what Auggie was asking of her, but the evidence proved otherwise. It had taken her less time than their flight to push free from the obvious fear she was laboring under and emerge as her usual, slightly giddy self. Actually, he found himself beginning to wonder if Ditzy-Danielle might not be something of a cover persona. He had a growing suspicion that Annie's sibling was a lot more "together" than she let on. It was quite possible the sisters had more than just resilience in common.

"Here, sit." Auggie's musings were interrupted by Eyal's touch on his arm, accompanied by the noise of a chair being pulled across a hardwood floor. Finding the back of the chair with his free hand he maneuvered into it, locating the table in front of him and resting his cane against the edge.

"There is a cup of coffee directly in front of you." Eyal advised, sitting in a chair opposite of Auggie at the table. He was silent for only a moment. "I'm afraid my curiosity is getting the best of me, what brings you to beautiful Israel?"

Auggie smirked, carefully reaching forward until his fingers brushed the handle of a ceramic mug. He and Eyal both knew why he was here, rather _who _he was here for. He picked the mug up gingerly, blowing on the contents before taking a sip. The coffee was black, and strong, but after spending nearly the entirety of the last twenty four hours in the air, the caffeine was a welcome source of much needed energy. Auggie noted the continuing sound of running water, and Danielle's off key lyrical improvisation. They would be able to talk at least briefly in private.

"Henry Wilcox is dead." Auggie could feel the weight of the statement as it hit the air, like lead falling from his lips. "Annie killed him."

"So, she finally accomplished her goal." Eyal murmured thoughtfully, and Auggie detected a hint of impressed surprise in the man's words, though not disbelief. "But that's not all, is it?"

"Unfortunately, no." Auggie set the coffee back on the table. "Annie was supposed to meet a US carrier for extraction after completing the mission. She missed the pickup, and now she's in the wind again."

"You're certain she wasn't abducted?" The concern in Eyal's question could not be missed.

"Entirely certain." Auggie confirmed. "Her ride to the carrier confessed she convinced him to drop her off the coast of Taiwan. But that's the last known location we have. She's disappeared."

"And you needed my help to find her." Eyal spoke with a smug satisfaction that had Auggie's eyes rolling in his head. The Mossad agent merely chuckled at this, shifting in his seat and causing the chair to scrape along the floor with his movement. "I suppose history proves I have a knack for hunting down our wayward friend. You've come to the right place. I wasn't lying when I told you I might know where she was last."

"Well?" Patience was not Auggie's strong suit.

"She stole my boat."

"She _what_?"

"She _stole _my _boat_."

Auggie was sure he must have looked utterly bewildered. For a few split seconds that seemed more like years, he sat completely frozen, trying to process what Eyal had told him.

"You have a boat?" Auggie tried to picture the Mossad agent in the cabin of a luxurious yacht, or on the deck of a sail boat, or hoisting nets on a trawler. He failed.

"_Had_ a boat." Eyal corrected him. "Why so surprised? I like to fish."

"Forget I asked." Auggie shook his head to clear it. He heard the shower shut off, and the vibrations of the floor alerted him to the fact that Danielle was moving through the house. "How do you know it was Annie?"

"She was the only person who knew about it." Eyal explained with a deep throated laugh. "I tried to get her to come with me in Amsterdam, you know. I told her we could retire, and live on the ocean. She refused of course." Eyal paused, and Auggie could feel he weight of his stare. "I understand now, why she did."

A silence befell the kitchen. Auggie sat uncomfortably beneath the scrutiny of Eyal's gaze, fiddling with the coffee mug, but not drinking anything else. He knew there had been a time when Eyal was the only one Annie had trusted. It was a sore topic for him still, and one he would rather forget.

Amsterdam felt like a distant memory after everything else that had happened, but Auggie had not forgotten Annie's unwavering devotion to the Israeli that now sat in front of him. She cared for him deeply, a revelation that admittedly bothered Auggie before, but now it seemed like the least of his worries. There was no reasonable justification for his jealousy; Eyal had saved Annie's life numerous times when he could not do it himself. For that alone, Auggie would be indebted to him forever.

"Why is Danielle here?" Sensing the rift between them, Eyal broke the silence with another question, for which Auggie was thankful.

As if on cue, the sound of Danielle coming down the hallway and into the kitchen interrupted their conversation. He could sense when she paused at the kitchen's edge, not crossing the threshold, the smell of her shampoo mingling with the coffee. Even from where he sat, Auggie could feel her uncertainty, a palpable tension that filled the small kitchen. Eyal offered her a warm hello, to which Annie's sister did not respond immediately. He and Auggie sat awkwardly, waiting for her to say something.

"Great." Danielle deadpanned, her words dripping with irony. Auggie quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, a rare moment where he found himself wondering what his eyes were missing. She brushed past both men and made a beeline for the coffee, digging through the cabinets and pouring herself a cup without skipping a beat.

"What's so great?" Eyal called after her.

"What's so great?" She snorted, taking her own seat at the table. "Another man, another suit."

Though Auggie could not see it, she wore an undeniable look of accomplishment at the sight of both men's perplexed expressions.

* * *

_**AN: **First off, THANK YOU for the reviews, I'm thrilled y'all love it as much as I do so far! Here is Chapter 2! Now we're getting somewhere. Love me some Eyal. Honestly Eyal, Danielle and Auggie are quite entertaining to write. I hope y'all think so too! Where **is** our lovely little Annie? Let me know what you think in the reviews! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

The port at Venice is too big, and too crowded, so Annie docked at a private marina on the edge of Islo La Certosa, an island just east of the city. She took a bus into the the Cannaregio district, borrowing a young woman's cellphone and calling the marina in Flisvos to report an anonymous tip, revealing the _The Flying Lavin's_ location. She had made sure to leave Eyal a note before she left, hidden away in one of the many compartments of the main cabin.

He would find it one day by accident, years from now, and it would make him smile.

It was only a twenty minute ride from the island to the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. The trip was quiet, peaceful, and Annie would gaze out the window of the bus and look down at the canals that Venice was famous for. Watching the gondolas float down the waterways, bitter sweet recollection reminding her of the last time she had been in this place; her ribs winced at the memory. She was getting to see more of the city now than she had then, further evidence of how different things were, how much things had changed. She closed her eyes, the sun filtering through the window warming her face, fighting the empty chill of her heart.

What she would give to turn back time.

At the railway station, the attendant, a nice young girl in her early twenties, chattered incessantly about the holidays. Her bubbly, effervescent personality contributed to her lack of thoroughness, for which Annie gave a small prayer of thanks. The girl only glanced at the makeshift identification once before preparing the tickets for the first train to Geneva. She waxed incessantly in Italian about how she was convinced her boyfriend would be proposing to her at Christmas, and how excited her father would be to finally have her out of the house.

"What about you, _bellisima_?" She asked cheerfully. "Any big plans for your holiday?"

Annie was caught off guard by the question. She shifted her messenger bag on her shoulder, unsure if she should answer or not, and she found herself wondering for the first time since she left Athens what her plan really was. The realization was almost laughable. Up until now, excluding her decision to return to Geneva, she had simply traveled in a state of ambivalent existence. No direction, no reason, driven purely by impulse; not of her head, but her heart.

Just liked she used to.

"I am looking for someone." She replied. "She's been missing for a while."

The attendant hesitated, her head tilting to the side in silent contemplation. But despite her curiosity at the dark haired woman's cryptic response, she did not ask anymore questions. Instead she smiled - a genuine gesture of sincerity. It was something the ghost had not seen in quite some time.

She handed the tickets to Annie.

"Well, I hope you find her."

Annie smiled back, but her eyes were weary, sorrowful.

"So do I."

* * *

"They found my boat!"

Eyal's triumph was childlike in it's excitement when he burst into the safe house. Danielle looked up from the couch where she and Auggie had sat for the better part of the last two days. He with a computer, her with the latest Nicholas Sparks. The blind CIA agent had spent most of the time being mesmerized by whatever it was that was being fed to him via his headphones, monitoring frequencies and hacking into surveillance systems with the help of something called Hummingbird, in hopes of somehow spotting Annie. At least that was what he claimed to be doing, whether or not he was telling Danielle the truth was another issue entirely.

For the sake of her sanity, she resigned herself to the fact that there would be things she would never understand, and that the truth would always be more complicated than it seemed.

"That's good!" Her optimism could have been contagious by means of sheer intensity. She replaced her bookmark - Annie's postcard - and closed the book. "I mean, that _is_ good, isn't it? That means Annie was there, right?"

"Exactly." Auggie grinned, removing his headphones and turning towards Eyal. "Where in Venice?" he asked.

"A marina on Certosa island." The Mossad agent walked around behind both of them, leaning over the back of the couch to inspect Auggie's computer screen, and glancing sideways at Danielle. "Does that mean anything to either of you?"

"Dad was never stationed in Italy." Danielle offered. "So that's not very helpful."

She and Eyal both looked to Auggie now, who sat in quiet deliberation, attempting to weigh their options. Though this clue gave them an idea of where Annie was now, where she was headed next remained a mystery. If she was on the move, their window of opportunity to catch up with her was incredibly short. Danielle could feel aggravation rolling off of Auggie in waves as he ran a hand through his hair, his frustrated sigh clearly audible.

"Where do people in Venice go?" Danielle asked aloud, shifting on the couch and looking directly at Eyal. "I mean, what are the major roadways? Or means of transportation?"

"Well, they go anywhere they want to, _Achoti_." Eyal thought himself clever, but Danielle was not impressed. "Why?"

Danielle was not impressed. "Har." She countered, rolling her eyes. Auggie smirked, but kept quiet. Danielle required no assistance when it came to repartee. "If Annie is trying to leave whatever happened behind, she'll probably go back to bury the memories first."

"I'm not following." Eyal eyed her quizzically. "Explain."

"When we were kids and we had to move bases, Annie would take a shoebox and burry things from our old home in the yard before we left. Pictures, post cards, trinkets…" Danielle could picture her sister, so young, yet even then so fierce. "She tried to make me do it too, but I hated it. She said it was the only way she could let things go. That it was the only way she could move on."

Eyal stared at Danielle, either touched by the story, or surprised that she could recall something from such a long time ago. She raised her eyebrows expectantly, arms crossed over her chest. Auggie wore a look that clearly said, "I told you so." If Eyal had ever doubted a sister's intuition, he would never do it again.

"What?" She demanded. "Cat got your tongue?"

"The railway station in Venice." Effectively chastised, Eyal turned to back to Auggie, acting as if nothing had happened. "There are dozens of places it runs to: Milan, Vienna, Paris, Munich, Geneva-"

"Geneva?" Auggie brightened immediately.

"What's in Geneva?" Danielle scooted a little closer to Auggie as he began to type furiously, images and script flashing across the screen at a rate she found impossible to keep up with. Eyal also seemed newly enlivened with a dawning realization, standing up from where he had been perched on the back of the coach, folding his arms in thoughtful reflection.

"It's not what," Eyal responded, "but who."

"Who?" Danielle was lost, which was nothing new, so it hardly surprised her.

"Sana Wilcox." The Israeli's declaration was solemn, somber.

"Sana Wilcox." Auggie repeated in a similarly subdued fashion. He stopped typing abruptly, shutting the laptop with a quick flick of his hand. "Annie's not burying shoeboxes. She's burying demons."

* * *

_**AN:**__ Wow! Thanks so much for all the awesome reviews you guys, sorry this has been so long in the making! Life and school and work like to get in the way of creativity. Hopefully now that I'm getting into a more normal routine I can start posting again regularly. Let me know what you think about our fabulous trio, will they be able to find Annie before it's too late?! ;)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

The view from the Cathedrale St. Pierre in Geneva was breathtaking. In the distance past the city rooftops and winding roads, the Jet d'Eau rose from Lake Geneva where it tied into the river Rhone. The fountain climbed into the air against a cloudless, bright blue sky. Danielle sat quietly on the cathedral steps, elbows on her knees, her chin resting on the flat of her knuckles, and she thought briefly about pinching herself. It had been years since she had traveled the world like this, and if you had asked her just days before, she never would have guessed she would have ended up here, half way across the globe, on a hunt for her dead-but-not-dead-sister.

The thought alone was almost enough to make her laugh out loud.

Next to her Auggie was reclined along the stairs, cane folded at his side, headphones playing some sort of jazz tune she did not recognize. She studied him for a moment, thinking back to the many conversations, or non-conversations, she and Annie had about him in the past.

There was something special about August Anderson, of this Danielle was absolutely certain. He was the only person that made Annie's eyes light up when she talked about him, that distant longing echo in her voice, the giddy glow that she radiated when Danielle caught her talking to him on the phone. What had she missed since she had left D.C. for the sunny state of California? It seemed odd for a man to be so invested in someone that he would drop everything to find her, unless there was more to it than what met the eye. Something held her back from asking Auggie about it, though – some undefined sadness that seemed to linger about him when they discussed Annie. If there _was_ a story to be told she suspected it might not be a fairy-tale.

Maybe, if they found Annie, she would ask.

_When_ they found her.

"What's on your mind?" Auggie pulled his headphones off, and Danielle startled at the unexpected inquiry. She would forever be amazed at how Auggie's intuition could pick up on the slightest discrepancies. Instead of being irritated she only smiled sheepishly.

"Is that even a question?" She replied wistfully, looking back down toward the city sprawled out below them, the horizon line beyond the lake, the tops of the snow capped Alps in the distance. She pictured Eyal returning from his foray into the city center, Annie on his arm, walking up the hill to meet them. She shrugged deeper into her black peacoat, readjusting the matching beanie on her head, and pulling the lose strands of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face.

"Yes?" Auggie was nothing if not relentless. "Spill." — but he said it kindly.

"I'm thinking about Annie, as if that wasn't a given." She murmured. She mirrored Auggie, leaning back against the steps, casting a curious sideways glance in his direction. "Since you can't tell me anything, I'm trying not to think too much about what must have happened, why we're here, and why she's hiding." Danielle paused, biting her lip. "And let's just clear the slate now and be honest; I'm a nosy big sister. I'm wondering what _you're_ thinking Auggie."

Auggie's expression belied the fact that she had caught him completely off guard with her question. He opened his mouth to say something, but promptly stopped himself, and Danielle watched as her warred with his emotions and battled to keep a straight face. After a moment of pensive silence, he looked toward her, eyes narrowed cannily; she could almost see the light bulb come on over the top of his head — a realization that her inquiry was not as simple as it sounded.

"I'm not sure I understand." His poker face was fully restored, but Danielle was not buying it and the opportunity was irresistible.

"I _knew _it!" She sat up and jabbed him in the shoulder, so overcome by her own discovery that she temporarily forgot about the less than ideal circumstances that led to it. "I knew you two had a thing! I so called it, when we were in Sweden, I told her it was going to happen, and I was right! I'm _always_ right."

"Wait." For the second time that day Danielle had Auggie surprised. "You two talked about me _then_? That was over 2 years ago, that was before…"

Danielle waited for him to finish talking, eager for the latest scoop on her sisters previously-shrouded love life. She would not be upholding the code of sisterly duties if she did not throughly question and interrogate him — assuming they _were_ an item, which, in her opinion, was a now a moot point. All the ridiculous insanity of the past few days, and the fact that Annie was missing, were pushed to the back of her mind for the time being.

"So, _you_ spill, Anderson." Danielle teased. "I want to know all the details. When, why, where."

"It's so funny that you think I'm going to tell you anything." He replied wryly, replacing his headphones with a grin, to which Danielle responded by swatting him with her hand in mock irritation.

She prepared to barrage him with a slew of questions and use her adept manipulation skills, a tool picked up from mothering two unruly girls, into bullying him for answers. However, her attempts were thwarted before she could begin, because out of the corner of her eye she spotted two people coming up the hill toward the cathedral. It was Eyal and a woman. Her heart skipped a beat and she stood up, unable to see clearly, but hoping that it was Annie. Auggie sensed her change in position, and he removed his head phones again, placing them around his neck and grabbing his folded cane before rising to stand beside her.

As the two drew closer, Danielle could not help the weight of disappointment that settled on her shoulders when she realized it was not her sister. The older Indian woman was beautiful, her dark, straight locks of hair drawn back in a pony tail that made her appear much younger. She seemed uncertain and doubtful walking next to the tall, intimidating form of Eyal. The Mossad agent wore a completely different expression in comparison, one that was pleasant and jovial. Danielle touched Auggie's hand reflexively, and he took her arm, carefully following her as they made their way down the Cathedral steps toward the street. She had to consciously force herself not to go too quickly.

"Ah! Danielle Brooks, Auggie Anderson." Eyal and the woman reached them as they descended the last few steps. "This is Sana Wilcox."

Sana's focus immediately fell on Danielle, her previous reservations superseded by an piqued interest. Danielle smiled, trying to be friendly, and much to her surprise, Sana smiled back.

"You look like her." Sana appraised thoughtfully. "Like Jessica. Or, Annie, rather."

In that moment Danielle saw someone not so different from herself when she looked at Sana Wilcox. It had broken her heart when Auggie explained who she was, and Danielle briefly thought of Jai, how he had come to the house for dinner all those summers ago, and the way his eyes always seemed to be laughing. She could not imagine losing her girls, and there fore she could not imagine the pain Sana had suffered after losing her son. But Danielle _had _lost a sister, for all intents and purposes anyway, and she knew _that_ pain. Her eyes were tired, and the gravity of her words gave away the fact that she was also a victim of the never ending spy charade that Danielle had come to hate.

"She's my sister." Danielle admitted with a bittersweet half smile. "I always said she got her good looks from me."

Eyal snorted in amusement, and Danielle shot him a glare that was dagger worthy, though it only made the Israeli smile more.

"Fortunately for us, Sana has seen our little runaway." Eyal announced enthusiastically. "Just this morning, in fact."

"We're catching up." Auggie's excitement was forcibly subdued, but his face immediately livened at Eyal's revelation, and he shifted his weight restlessly beside Danielle. She held onto Auggie's jacket sleeve, as if he would ground her in this constantly shifting, chaotic ocean of unpredictability.

"Or falling behind." Sana corrected in her crisp British English. "While I _did_ see her this morning, it was only briefly, and there was very little she gave away as far as where she was going." She paused, looking behind Danielle and Auggie, and then back down the street. "Look, why don't you come back with me to my flat. I'd rather not talk out here in the open.I fear old habits die hard, and I've been particularly prone to them as of late. Besides, I'm sure you three could do with some lunch."

"Food!" Eyal exclaimed in childlike delight. "The quickest way to a man's heart, to be sure."

Danielle gave him the most patronizing, mother of the year stare she could muster, but as per usual Eyal simply grinned back at her, dark eyes glinting humorously. Auggie rolled his eyes and shook his head, adjusting his grip on his cane and shifting his computer bag across his shoulder accordingly. Danielle realized, much to her surprise, that the dynamic here was not so different from the one at home. The only difference was that instead of two little girls, she now had two large boys to look after instead, and so far they seemed to prove far more vexing than she ever could have guessed.

"Come on you two." Danielle pulled on Auggie's arm, and stepped forward into the street. "Sana, lead the way."

* * *

_**AN: **__Y'all probably feel special, another update so soon?! Anyways, thank you all SO much for the outpouring of love. It makes my heart happy when y'all enjoy reading my stories, and it gives me hope that maybe someday I can make my own original storybook characters come to life... Until then, I'll enjoy borrowing from my various favorite shows, like Covert Affairs. I am beyond anxious for Season 5, the writers sure have a lot of explaining to do after the way the left Season 4! Anyways, let me know what you think by dropping a review and favoriting! I try to respond to everyone. Thanks so much again! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

"When I met Annie, she was going by the name Jessica Matthews. I thought my worst nightmares had been realized when I lost Jai, but then Henry reappeared, and Annie followed closely behind. I cannot explain the ferocity that drove her to catch him. A wildfire seemed to follow her wherever she went, and it burned everything she touched."

Danielle's hands were warmed by the cup of hot tea she held clasped in her grasp, but sitting in Sana's dining room, listening to her describe the Annie Walker she had met, something chilled her. The vacant, soulless person Sana described did not sound like her sister at all. While Auggie had kept most of the details of Annie's assignment a mystery, using clearance levels and secret agent terminology to justify the secrecy, Danielle had no trouble conjuring up wild scenarios of her own. However, despite her overactive imagination, whatever Henry Wilcox had done must have been unimaginable. For her sister to give up everything and chase a man to the end of the world to bring him to justice - to kill him - was an act of valor beyond her understanding.

"When Annie puts her mind to something, there's no stopping her." Auggie was somber, a cup cradled in his hands. Eyal nodded in agreement, but his preoccupation with eating the muffins Sana had set out for them precluded speech. Danielle had unsurprisingly lost her appetite.

"I could tell," Sana murmured. "Her persistence is an admirable quality, I'll grant you, but given the circumstances it made her destructive." The older woman hesitated, her genuinely empathetic nature warring with her resentment over what had occurred. She looked to Danielle, her expression bordering on apologetic. "You must think me heartless, but you have to understand, I thought I had lost David when interpol arrested him, and I'd already lost so much. I blamed Annie, and with some justification. When someone betrays your trust, when they _use_ you, it's an unspeakable feeling. However well-intentioned she might have been, it did not make what she did right. Nothing can justify ruining one life for the sake of another."

"That having been said, now that Henry is out of the picture, life has returned to relative normality." Sana sighed - a relieved, but exhausted sound. "David is back at the firm, and the charges against him have been dropped. I managed to forget about the awfulness of the past few months entirely. Or I _thought_ I had, until Annie showed up at the café where I had breakfast this morning."

"You told me it had been a few hours since she left, by the time that I arrived." Eyal sat back in his chair, several muffins successfully obliterated. "Do you remember exactly what she told you?"

"Anything that might help." Auggie added. Danielle suspected he was struggling to remain composed despite his calm outward appearance; every second they sat there was another second Annie was getting further away. After their brief conversation on the Cathedral steps, she realized Auggie had much more at stake than just his job if they did not find her. His emotional investment was affecting his ability to be remain rational, and it was beginning to get the best of him.

Honestly, it was beginning to get the better of Danielle too. Her first reaction to Sana's accusations against her sister was to jump to her defense. Danielle believed, perhaps foolishly, that everyone possessed the capacity for good. Annie had always been a radiant light, a soul with an innate adeptness for kindness. The woman Sana described was nothing of the sort, and Danielle was slowly beginning to understand just how tainted the tangled web the CIA wove really was for the people who gave their life to the service, how much it changed them. The woman Sana's story described did not sound like Annie Walker, like her _sister_; this woman sounded selfish, desperate, lost.

Danielle prayed that they found her, before it was too late.

"She was exhausted, she looked like she hadn't slept in days. I offered her a place to stay, but she refused. She's certainly independent." Sana laughed, arms folded over chest, legs crossed in contemplation. "She told me she had come to apologize, for everything, that she wanted to make amends. My first reaction was to deny her the satisfaction, but unlike my ex-husband I'm not completely without a heart. It's not in my nature to be cruel, and she was clearly upset.

"Naturally, I asked her where she would go next, but she dodged the question and I didn't press her" Sana paused, holding up a finger and rising from her seat at the table. She disappeared into her kitchen, returning moments later, a piece of paper in her hand. "She forgets that I'm no stranger to espionage. When she left the café she threw this away. I'm not quite sure what possessed me to take it, but perhaps it'll be of some use to you. It's not much, but I'm afraid it's all I have to offer."

Eyal took the paper, studying it intently. Danielle rose from her seat, leaning over the Israeli's shoulder to inspect the new clue herself.

"Well?" Auggie was trying his best to practice patience, but he was losing the battle.

"A receipt for a bus ticket to Basel." Eyal explained, setting the paper back on Sana's marble table top. "I think it's safe to assume she'll get on another train from there - it's a central point for the railways in this area. Airports will to be too hard for her to acquire the proper identification with so little time to prepare. Regardless, the same question remains; where will she disappear to next?"

"Where was she before she came to Geneva?" Danielle was grasping at straws. "So far she's stuck to the same pattern, right? If she's going backwards…"

"She was in Frankfurt." Auggie hesitated, somewhat reserved. "But going back there would be suicidal, she's still on their radar after the Copenhagen incident. I don't think she'd take that risk." Auggie's cane had rested folded on the table top undisturbed for the majority of the time they had been there, but now he fiddled with it nervously. "Sana, you're positive she didn't say anything else?"

The three unlikely musketeers all looked to the Indian woman simultaneously. She bit her lip, apparently trying to wrack her brain for any sort of small detail she might have missed during her interaction with Annie, but her crestfallen expression was an indicator that she had nothing left to give them.

"I'm sorry." Sana replied sadly. "There really was nothing else."

Auggie could not hide his disappointment, his poker face finally failing him. Even Eyal seemed subdued, the Mossad agent's normally cheery, bright eyes shadowed by the next mountain that now stood before them. Danielle felt as if the wind had been taken out of her sails, and she sat listlessly in her seat, feeling like they were on the losing end of the battle.

"We should go, if we hurry there is a chance we can make it to Basel before she boards another bus or train." Decided, Eyal stood, gripping Auggie's shoulder briefly in a reassuring gesture. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sana."

When Auggie stood, unfurling his cane, Danielle followed suit. She readjusted her beanie, and pulled her peacoat tighter around herself, as if they would serve as more than just a shield from the cold. The pained look on Auggie's face, now clearly distressed, only made her heart ache all the more. She was beginning to wonder how many clues it would take before they found Annie, if they found her at all. There was the distinct possibility that she did not want to be found, and that in itself was enough to make Danielle feel like she had lost her sister all over again. Was this what Annie's life was like? This constant, perpetuatal sense of being brokenhearted? And if so, how did she manage to live that way without losing or her mind? Or had she?

Danielle's internalized hysteria was interrupted when Sana approached her - the older woman embracing her unexpectedly. Surprised, but oddly touched, Danielle could not help but hug the woman back.

"I hope you find her." Sana murmured. "For her sake and yours."

Danielle closed her eyes, fighting tears, fighting the fear that it was too late.

That even if they found Annie, her sister would be lost forever.

* * *

There were three people walking along the sidewalk in Geneva, Switzerland. A trio composed of a woman and two men. Their heads were bowed and they appeared to be lost in conversation as they left the apartment building in which Sana Wilcox lived. The appeared unaware of being watched.. It was noticeable even from a distance to the watching stranger that the two men were arguing with one another. One was Middle Eastern in appearance, the other carrying a white cane. The woman seemed frustrated with her present company, remaining quiet, her pensive body language an indicator that whatever they were about, it was not going according to plan.

The stranger sat in contemplative silence from their seat inside the café directly across the road, glancing at the clock on the wall, fingers tapping on the table top where a coffee cooled, untouched. Restlessness loomed, indicated by a sigh, but it was quickly suppressed, like a candle light snuffed out. A hunter did not find its prey by forgetting the most important virtue of all; patience.

They had not found Annie Walker yet, but they would.

She was counting on it.

* * *

_**AN:**__ I just have to say that my fans are the absolute best! Reading y'alls reviews and encouraging words really brightens my days. Thank y'all so very much for the love! I write for you. :)_

_Special should out to Ashtordiffe and ellen_stokke over in twitter-verse for beta reading and being the BEST critics/editors a girl could ask for. Especially Ash who has had my back from the beginning and always keeps encouraging me to write more! You guys rock! xxx_

_As always, let me know what you think, fav, follow, review and stay tuned!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

Danielle dozed on and off as they drove through the Swiss country side. After leaving Sana's apartment they had returned to the Land Rover Eyal had magically procured for them, immediately departing for Basel in hopes of heading Annie off - if that is where she was headed. Unable to get comfortable she sat up in the passenger seat, glancing sideways at Eyal as he drove, and then in the rearview mirror where Auggie sat slightly slumped over in a restless sleep, headphones still on and laptop open.

Danielle reached for the postcard she had set on the dash, something she had picked up at the local fuel station when they had stopped to fill up before heading out of town. She planned on writing something to Michael and the girls, though about what she was not sure, considering Auggie had told her that everything they were doing was "classified". She grabbed her purse from the floor of the Land Rover and began digging for something to write with. Annie's final postcard crossed her mind fleetingly, and again the longing to find her sister created an ache inside her chest.

"You should rest, _Achoti_." Eyal patronized from behind the wheel, eyes shaded by a pair of aviators, grin in place.

"Last time I checked, you're the one who hasn't slept." She replied to the Israeli, still digging through her purse in hopes of finding a pen. "Maybe I can't sleep because I'm afraid you'll doze off and run us off the road."

"So little faith." Auggie murmured from the backseat. Danielle would previously have been surprised that he'd overheard her, but she had become used to his ability to pick up on anything and everything. No whisper or minute sound escaped him. Even when asleep, apparently.

"What does _Achoti_ even mean?" Danielle asked flippantly, distracted by her hunt for a pen, and also distracted by Auggie's previous statement. She turned and looked over her shoulder at the blind man, making sure to use her best accusatory and exasperated tone possible. "And who said I had little faith?"

"It's Hebrew for 'sister'." Eyal explained. "_I _did not say any such thing." He looked pointedly at Auggie in the rearview mirror.

"Coward." Auggie readjusted his position and said nothing else, his eyes remaining closed, but the telltale edges of a grin etched across his face.

Danielle shook her head, letting Auggie return to his nap, and Eyal to his driving. Having had no luck finding a pen in the bottomless, black hole that was her purse, she turned next to her pockets. She turned the peacoat pockets inside out to empty them, but she was surprised when a piece of paper, not a pen, fell out and into her lap. Not recognizing it, or remembering having put it there, Danielle inspected the folded piece of notebook paper carefully.

"What's that?" Eyal peered at Danielle and her discovery from the corner of his eye, but otherwise remaining focused on the road ahead of him.

"I'm not sure…" Danielle began to unfold the paper. Auggie was moving in the backseat again, and came to rest between both her and Eyal by balancing his forearms on the center console.

The only thing on the paper was a quickly scrawled name.

"What is it?" Auggie prodded.

"It's a piece of paper with a name written on it." Danielle narrowed her eyes and held the paper closely, trying to make out the cursive arcs and squiggles.

"Whose name?" Eyal's tone resonated with Auggie's subdued impatience.

"Justus Rist." Danielle pronounced the name tentatively as she derived it from the almost illegible cursive script. She glanced toward both men expectantly. "Does it ring a bell?"

"Joost." Auggie deadpanned. He returned to the backseat, laptop in his lap, fingers beginning to fly over the keyboard. Danielle and Eyal exchanged a brief glance of uncertainty between one another.

"Joost?" Eyal repeated skeptically.

"I'm confused, which is nothing new, I suppose." Danielle muttered. "What's a Joost?"

"_Joost_ is an old contact of mine. He specializes in a variety of things, mainly selling small arms on the black market in Europe, and new identities for people who are willing to pay for them. " Auggie explained. "His full name is Justus Risk. I should have known she'd try something like this…" He drifted off, his own frustration with himself palpable inside the confines of the moving vehicle.

"Sana must have planted that on you when we left." The Mossad agent mused aloud. "Clever of her. But why not just tell us the name?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Auggie stated flatly. "What matters is that we're not stopping in Basel."

"Then where _are_ we stopping?" Danielle could not help but wonder what city this wild goose chase would take them to next. Oddly enough she did not care where they went, so long as they found Annie.

Auggie grinned at Danielle, amused by how unflappable she appeared despite the circumstances. She had, thus far, proven that she was far more capable than he had previously thought at the beginning of their adventure. He'd very much underestimated her.

"Amsterdam." Auggie announced. "We're going to Amsterdam. Eyal, I trust you remember how to get there?"

The Israeli snorted, his indignation impossible to miss. "How could I forget?"

* * *

There was something nostalgic and lovely about Amsterdam during December. Even at night the city was alive, glowing, with trees and houses along the various canals dotted and decorated with lights celebrating the holiday season. The Keizersgracht, known as the Emperor's Canal, was frozen, and the laughter of the skaters that traversed its icy surface echoed through the evening. Music from the various bars and café's that lined the roads on either side of the Keizersgracht also mixed with the merrymaking. It was festive, exuberant, and indescribably beautiful.

Annie stood just outside the doors of the Pulitzers Bar, the canal behind her, clad in the newly acquired wardrobe procured with the help of her shop-lifting skills (and to the displeasure of her guilty conscience) on her arrival in Amsterdam. Black leather boots, jeans, and trench coat were offset by the pretty red scarf wound around her neck. Her hair was pulled back into a messy french braid beneath a knit brim hat, loose strands framing her face. Her arms were crossed, eyes narrowed, her indecision waging a battle inside her head.

To go in, or not to go in; that was the question. Annie shifted the messenger bag draped across her shoulder, though her discomfort could not be blamed on its contents. The bag was empty except for the cash that had belonged to it's previous owner, and a sizable donation from Sana. Annie had left the wallet where it could be found and returned. She worried her lower lip, a contemplative habit, and pulled a piece of paper where she had scribbled the address of the Pulitzers earlier from her pocket. Her thoughts briefly drifted back to Sana. Despite her initial hesitation, the older woman had agreed to help Annie, and she had also promised not to divulge any information about her whereabouts. Whether or not she would keep her promise Annie could not be sure, and perhaps that in itself was what was stopping her from walking inside.

She did not want to be found.

Annie had come to that realization when she arrived in Basel and boarded the next bus to Amsterdam. The near seven hour drive had given her plenty of time to think. Ever since she had pulled her disappearing act in Hong Kong, she had known instinctively that she wanted to remain hidden, but it had taken her until now to admit to herself that perhaps she was running from more than just the demons of the past few months. Compartmentalization was nothing more than a term used to justify sweeping emotions and traumatic events under a rug of self-imposed stoicism. After months of doing just that, her walls were finally breaking.

Images raced through her head, faces, flashes of memories long past, yet just as vivid as if she had seen them yesterday: Jai, Simon, Lena, Henry… Even though they were gone, what was it about those ghosts that refused to stop haunting her? Each had left their scars, some different from others, and it felt impossible to let go of the weight that she had carried for so long because of them.

Annie's train of thought switched gears faster than she could blink, as it often did as of late. She found herself thinking no longer of ghosts, but instead of living, breathing individuals.. Her guardian angels, who undoubtedly were looking for her at this very instant. One in particular - Auggie.

The familiar indescribable swell of emotion that lately always threatened to suffocate Annie any time August Anderson crossed her mind rose up again. She was finding it hard to shake the feeling that he was with her, no matter how hard she tried. It was not helping that being in Amsterdam was a bitter reminder of what could have been. She could still remember every detail of that day as if she were reliving it. Rescuing Eyal had been her only concern at the time, but looking back now Annie was realizing that something else had happened that she had completely missed then.

Amsterdam held so many memories. She could close her eyes and picture the boat on the canal, sitting next to him, shoulders brushing, the beginnings of a profession - or maybe confession - on the edge of his lips; the interruption by Fate's cruel sense of humor in the form of a phone call from Joan and Arthur Campbell.

Interruptions seemed to be an unfortunate pattern in her relationship with Auggie. From day one their friendship had been tested by various hurdles and obstacles. When Annie joined the CIA, she had known that her life would be complicated, and when training had failed her, Auggie had always been there to help her navigate the gray areas that were an inevitable part of a career as a spy. But despite her own resourcefulness, there was no handbook in the world that would ever be able to tell her how to deal with certain terms that proved far more complicated than espionage ever would be. Trust, honesty, integrity, loyalty, _love_… These were things that no amount of training on the Farm could ever prepare you to encounter.

Things no amount of training could ever prepare you to lose.

Annie took a breath, and shoving the piece of paper back inside her pocket, attempting to do the same with all thoughts of Auggie, she walked into the bar.

The dim lighting inside combined with the swanky piano Christmas jingle playing over the sound system created a very metropolitan and modern atmosphere. Annie appraised the bar where a row of high backed stools sat in alignment, couples and loners alike enjoying the evening while the local news station played on the television mounted along the far wall. She was here for one individual in particular, and it did not take long to find him.

Justus Risk, or Joost, as Auggie had called him when they were creating their ruse to steal Eyal back, was very tall. Though she had not met him in person the last time she was in Amsterdam, she recalled Auggie remarking on the Dutchman's friendly personality and sense of humor. Even now his laugh, loud and bellowing, bounced off the bar room walls. Annie took note of the empty pitcher of beer sitting on the bar top. Again she debated whether or not she should walk back out the door because, by approaching him, she was exposing herself. She had already risked it once with Sana, and risking it again only increased the odds of being discovered.

She needed his help, though, if she planned on getting any further than the Netherlands. That was what finally decided her. She approached Joost, sliding into the seat next to him.

"A shot of Patrón, _alstublieft_." Annie waved at the bartender, her best thousand watt smile in place, though more forced than usual even for her. "With salt."

Joost immediately took note of his new bar mate, turning away from the two gentlemen seated to his right to glance at Annie, while finishing off the last swig of his beer. At first he had simply given her a friendly smile, as he would any stranger passing through, but when he heard her order, caught her eye and noted that she did not look away, something clicked. With a quirk of his head, shaggy brunette locks in disarray, he set down his mug and turned to face her with far more curiosity than he had previously.

"Interesting choice," he remarked, fingers rapping against the bar top thoughtfully. "Do I know you?"

"We have a mutual friend." Cool and composed, Annie shifted to face him. "August Anderson."

Joost's expression brightened instantly, the proverbial light-bulb going on over his head. He sat up a little straighter, his smile broadening. "You must be Annie Walker!" He exclaimed. "I remember now, close to a year ago, Auggie came to me needing some help. He told me about you. I heard all went well with that, so what trouble has Auggie gotten into this time, eh?"

So Auggie had spoken of her. Curiosity and her subconscious pining made her want to ask the Dutchman more questions about what else Auggie might have said, but she refrained and kept her emotions in check, ignoring the little thrill of pleasure that had manifested itself

"I'm actually the one in trouble, if we have to call it that." The bartender placed Annie's shot of Patron on the bar top in front of her. She pulled it closer, leaning her left arm against the surface of the bar, feigning nonchalance.

"Is that so?" Joost, inquisitive by nature, was increasingly piqued by the alluring and mysterious woman sitting next to him. "Well then, as any friend of Auggie's is a friend of mine, what can I do?"

"I need a go pack." Annie replied quickly, voice hushed. "The works: papers, passport, identification that will get me through airport security, customs and border check points. As quickly as possible."

The Dutchman narrowed his eyes, clearly curious, but he did not prod further, for which Annie was grateful. His right index finger drew lazy circles along the rim of his empty mug as he appraised her, almost as if he were weighing his options. She tried her best not to hold her breath.

"All right,"he nodded, "But first you have to buy me a beer. Then we'll talk elsewhere. I do have to say, though, you've put in quite a tall order. May I ask why the rush?"

"It's complicated." Annie replied shortly.

"Fair enough," he accepted her answer pragmatically, but followed it up with: "Does Auggie know about this?"

"That's even more complicated."

His eyebrows quirked up at that, but Annie quickly downed her shot of Patrón, heading off any further questions.

* * *

_**AN:**__ Oh Annie, when will you learn that by avoiding the complicated things, you're just making things even more complicated? What do you think readers, are the three musketeers catching up to her? Also who was the stranger watching them in Geneva? And can we really trust Joost? So many questions to be answered. Also, brownie points if you can tell me what episode Joost's character stars in on the show. ;)_

_Again, thank you guys for all the awesome reviews. Makes my day every time! xoxoxo_


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